Canned meat goes way beyond tuna casserole! A wide variety of meats and seafood are available in cans and pouches, and with these tips you’ll be cooking great meals that no one will guess began with a can.
I first started using canned meats on camping and canoe trips, when we didn’t have refrigeration. And I continued to use them aboard Que Tal to supplement the limited meat supply in our tiny freezer. We’ve gone for more than two months on several occasions without fresh meat and didn’t feel deprived (we did have access to fresh produce, though).
In addition to being easy to store, canned meat has the added advantage of being quick to prepare since it’s already cooked – translating to less time in the galley when on passage or in an interesting anchorage, and less cooking heat in the boat when it’s hot outside.
It’s not hard to prepare great meals from canned meats. The canning process tends to take away some of the firmness and flavor of the meat, so the trick is to preserve and enhance the texture and flavor that’s there.
7 Tips for Using Canned Meat
The biggest complaint that most people have with canned meats is that everything in the dish turns into one big blob. But that doesn’t have to be the case! You can have great meals with just a little care. Through the years, I’ve learned a few tips to ensure good results:
- Add the meat as late in the cooking process as possible. It’s already cooked, so all you have to do is warm it up.
- Once you’ve added the meat, stir as little as possible so it won’t turn to mush. This is particularly true of chicken, turkey and beef and is one reason these meats shouldn’t be added until the very end of the cooking time and just warmed through.
- Ham is the only meat that you need to “crumble” or break apart as you add it to the other ingredients. All other meats should be handled very gently.
- Don’t overcook other ingredients to the point where they lose their texture and become a “blob” with the meat.
- Add one-half to one bouillon cube of an appropriate flavor to make up for the fact that you don’t have drippings from browning the meat. Most bouillon cubes have a lot of sodium, so don’t add extra salt.
- Drain the liquid from the can and use it in the cooking process (ditto for any canned vegetables you use). It’ll add a lot more flavor than plain water.
- Casserole-type dishes taking long cooking are generally inappropriate for canned meats.
I buy most meats in cans about the size of tuna cans – they’re just right for one meal for two people with average appetities. I use ham, chicken, turkey, tuna, crab, shrimp, corned beef, roast beef, corned beef hash and probably others — I’ve found them not only in the US but also in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and on land-based camping trips in South America and Africa. More recently, some meats are available in foil pouches, which cost a bit more but are lighter, take up less space and generally have even better texture.
My experience is that the more remote the locale, the greater variety of canned meats you’re likely to find since the local people are unlikely to have much refrigeration. Mexican fishing villages often had a wonderful assortment!
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Carolyn Shearlock says
On The Boat Galley’s Facebook page, Mary noted that she likes canned meat from Brinkman Farms — I’ve never had it, but several cruisers have told me it’s excellent.
Bruce says
Have you ever tried using the bodybuilder 100% whey protein drink powder for making snacks and replacing canned meat? Perhaps for emergency rations?
Carolyn Shearlock says
In an emergency, I guess anything would work. To make tasty meals on a daily basis where you don’t feel like you’re just making do, it’s not something I’d use. For me, canned meat makes good meals that are “real food” — protein powder would be fine nutritionally, but I don’t think you could make a satisfying meal from it.
Kym says
Hi Carolyn. My partner and I are about to embark on a new life living aboard a narrowboat on the canals of England UK. We are trying to identify good quality tinned meat products to purchase. Any ideas please?
Regards
Kym Cheeseman
Carolyn Shearlock says
I’m not familiar with UK brands, but there are several UK residents who follow TBG on Facebook. I’ll post a note there a little later (so it will show up in UK in the morning there) and ask if anyone has recommendations as to brands.
-Carolyn
margot partridge says
did several meals from canned chicken on my cruise(just got back) I made sandwiches from chicken and tuna. My husband could not taste the differnce. He thought everything was tuna. The meals were tasty.
Shirley says
I’ve been cruising for the last 12yrs and one of my favourite meals is canned chicken (heated up in its own juices) Mix 2/3rd cup Ranch or Caesar Salad dressing and 1/3rd French’s yellow mustard and 3Tbls brown sugar. Mix tog, add to chicken. Simmer about 3mins and serve on pasta. Delicious!
Brenda Roberts says
I also use can chicken to make Chicken Salad Sandwiches. My recipe : drained can of chicken,mayonnaise to your taste, black pepper, and chopped seedless grapes (i like the dark grapes) I also like to use croissants for the sandwich bread
Chuck Weldele says
Going to be. Passing through Marathon in a few min. A little chilly down here, but glad I’m not in the Pa. snow.
The Boat Galley says
Absolutely! It’s nice and sunny here, though I am wearing SOCKS!
Chuck Weldele says
Shopping for our first larger live aboard. Considering a Gemini.
The Boat Galley says
We like ours and there are a lot of other people living on them. I think there are nine, maybe 10, in Boot Key Harbor right now!
LaDonna Thomas says
I use a lot of the “Kirkland” brand canned chicken and just love it! It can be found in the Caribbean too! So versatile, I use it in salads, wraps, curry, risotto…..
A huge thanks to Carolyn or I would never have tried canned meats at all
Chris Link says
If you are still a year or two away from your cruise consider learning to can your own meat with a pressure cooker.It was easy and let me have quick meals after work while learning.
Albert J K III says
Wait just a minute…!….! I don’t see any Spam in the cover photo! Unless, it’s hiding behind the title. 😉
Patsy Thompson says
Mix chilorio with cream cheese for a yummy spread. Thin with yogurt or crema and it’s a dip. Add other stuff to taste if you want. Canned red peppers, jalapenos, onion, eyc
Diane Zbasnik says
I’ve used canned chicken to make soups. Especially good for tortilla soup. The whole dish can come from cans. We have also recently tried freeze dried meat. It doesn’t last as long as canned but has great texture and flavor. Once opened it needs to be used in 30 days or so. It is also a little more expensive.
Kerri says
Always good to have on hand! We are preparing for life aboard this summer and have experimented with TVP (textured vegetable protein). Have you tried this? Comes dehydrated and in very light sealed resealable pouches. Reconstitute with bouillon and it works quite well, especially in stewed or saucy dishes.
Carolyn Shearlock says
Yes, I’ve used it before. As you say, it works well in stews and things like pasta sauce.
Em says
Another clever idea would be canned escargot for a bit of a gourmet delight! Au gratin, with garlic butter, or tossed with pasta would be fantastic and change up the repertoire, just a tad. Cheers!